Agence France Presse |
PRISTINA: Kosovo and Serbia said Sunday the first deals on nuts-and-bolts problems to be solved after Pristina declared independence were a step toward their EU integration.A five-month EU-brokered dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina produced first results late Saturday.
Under the deal citizens of Kosovo, a former Serbian province, will be able to cross the border with Serbia and move freely across the country with personal documents issued by Pristina authorities, excluding passports.
A Kosovo Serb leader, Rada Trajkovic, said the deal will also make the life of the Serb minority in Kosovo easier, which has been unable to travel throughout the territory with identity papers and driving licenses issued by Serbian authorities.
Serbia has vowed never to recognize Kosovo as a state, considering it as its southern province, but 76 states, including the United States and 22 of 27 EU member states, have recognized its independence in 2008.
The accords “bring both parties closer to the European Union, they improve cooperation and they improve the lives of ordinary people,” said top EU diplomat Robert Cooper, who has been acting as facilitator in the months-long talks.
“These agreements are an extremely important achievement for both countries … as they conform to Euro-Atlantic standards,” the Kosovo government said in a press release.
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